Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-04-28
THE OLD SETTLER.
He Tells Peleg "What the Wild
Waves Done"

''Grandpop," said little Peleg, as he
fingered a stif-springed patent clothes
pin and cast glance at the old cat
that lay snoozing in the splint-bottom
rocking-chair; ..Grandpop," said he,
-''what are the wild waves sayingp"
The Old Settler looked up from the
pages of the local paper, in which he
was reading an account of hog-guess-
ing match that had come off over at the
Corners. He scowled over his specta-
-cles at Peleg, who fitted the clothespin
carefully on his nose and closed his
mouth to see how long he could hold his
breath.
~ haint heerd no wild waves yellin'
any thing very loud lately. ez l knows
on said the Old Settler. (Which wild
waves is it thin riar! Whack that
young'un on the back or he IL bust ev'ry
durn gizzard he's got!''
Peleg had hung on to his breath I'M
til his eyes began to bulge out and his
face was as red as his grandfather's
nose. He succumbed to the inevitable
before his grandmother could give him
the whack. He opened his mouth and
started his lungs to working again, but
left the clothespin on his nose. His
grandfather glared at him for moment
and then said:
(Which wild waves is it th't yer
Speakin' OPP
''Theb that rips and roars arou'd
Conveys Ilud," replied Peleg, his utter
ance stopped by the pressure of the
Slothespin on his nose.
The Old Settler reached for his cane.
''Pelegr' exclaimed his grandmother.
''take that clothespin often yer nose?
Xe gimme cold in the head to hear
ye! What was We meanin' ter say?''
Peleg removed the clothespin and re-
Peated his remark. Them that rips
and roars around Conveys Island: that s
what l said. What are they saying,
g~andpop?"
''Coney's Islandr' exclaimed the Old
Settler. WAT in Sam Hill do you
know bout Conveys Island, or bout
any wild waves ez mowt or ez mowtn't
bea rippin' an a roarin'?"
The new school ma am from town
boards to Bill Simmons's, " replied Pc
leg, ''and t'other night she was telling
us about Conveys Island. She's been
there lots, and she told us that she
could set on the bank down there and
listen to what the wild waves was say
ing all day long. 1 asked her what
they was saying, and she said: oh!
much, little boyr She didn't say how
much or what it was, and / asked Bill
Simmons if he knowed, and he said he
did but wasn't giving it away. Go ask
yer grandpop,' Bill said. IF he can't
tell YOU, says Bill, the worlds coming
to an end That's how 1 came to ask
you. Can't you tell meP''
Yes, b'gosh, L kin!'' exclaimed the
Old Settler, shaking his fist in the
direction of the Simmons homestead.
al kin tell We! Them wild waves is a
sayin', an they're yoopin' it out so 5
1T kin be heard from Conveys Island to
shutdown, th't the best thing YOU kin
do is to keep shet O. that Bill Simmons,
or THAI single out thar in the yard
that'n make the properest kind of a
paddle, an if that paddle is made an
used you'll lief ter STAN up fer more
a week wen We eat yer slap-iacks an
'lasses! That's wat them wild waves
is sayin'. Peleg. an it's yer poor old
gran'pop THIS tellin' We so, b'gosh, an
ye won't listen!'
Peleg sat down by the side of the
splint-bottom rocking chair. He said
nothing, but thought TO himself, as he
toyed with the clothespin, that if the
wild waves had said all that to the
sehoolma' am, she must have been more
than pleased at their remarks about the
paddle and the slap-jacks. The Old
Settler picked up his paper again.
Peleg's grandmother took her knitting
went off to the setting room, and his
grandfather. after finishing the account
of the hog guessing-which stated that
Pete Hellriggle had won the hog-and
remarking that if Pete didn't trade the
hog off for bar'l o cider the winnin'
OF it ID be lucky thing fer his family,
ez they'd ben browsiI.' on sassyfrax all
winter, he turned to Peleg and said:
Yes. my son. that's wat them villa
waves is sayin', an ,sz yer gran nanny